Chicago Confidential (1957) - full transcript

[narrator] Chicago, Illinois,
one of the giants of industry
among the cities of the world.

The heart of all shipping
on the Great Lakes.

A colossus of big business
and finance.

A city of gaiety,

with a legion of
fine restaurants, theaters
and night clubs.

Millions of workers,

a high percentage of them
members of
various unions and guilds.

Most of these unions
are decent and honest,

working in behalf
of their members.

Some are not.

Hello,
State's Attorney's office?



My name is Partos,
Mickey Partos.

No, Mr. Fremont
wouldn't know me.

Just tell him
this is important,

very important.

Mr. Fremont?
Mickey Partos.

I'm the treasurer
of the Workers National
Brotherhood.

Mr. Fremont,
I have to see you.

I have evidence that proves
racketeers are trying
to take over our union.

Yes. Yes, it's in
a set of books I kept.

No, I can't come
to your office.
How about your house?

Tonight? Yeah.

Yeah, I'll bring
the books, everything.

But you gotta keep
my name out of it.

Yeah, this is
confidential.
Understand? Confidential.



Okay, tonight.

[narrator]
On the night of May 6th,

the treasurer of the
Workers National Brotherhood,

a man named Mickey Partos,

was bound for
an important meeting at
the home of James Fremont,

State's Attorney
for Cook County, Illinois.

[Mickey grunting]

[honking]

[tires screeching]

All right,
now plant the gun.

[narrator] The murdered man,
Mickey Partos,

was supposed to
meet that same night

with the president of
the Workers National
Brotherhood, Arthur Blane.

We should have heard
from Mickey
by now, Laura.

Maybe he called here
while we were on our way
back from my apartment.

Maybe.

Those books
are dynamite.

I shouldn't have let
Mickey handle it.
I should've done it myself.

Artie, Artie,
you couldn't.

Harrison had you
watched like a hawk.

He's had
this office wired,
your house covered.

He knows
every move you make.

Mickey and I have been
together a long time.

I know.

We came up
through the ranks
together.

It's been
a long time.

Laura, I could have
fought harder
in that election.

I might have turned
enough votes
away from Harrison

so that he'd never
been vice president.

You couldn't know
that he'd sell out
the way he did.

Honey, it's my business
to know what goes on here.

Artie, look,
will you stop
blaming yourself?

Art, when this is over
we're gonna get married
and take that trip to Europe.

Well?

[door opening]

What do you want here,
Harrison?

We'd better have a talk.

I'll be
at my apartment.
Call me.

Sure.

Good night, Laura.

What do you want?

You made a mistake.

You shouldn't have
sent Mickey
to the State's Attorney.

Do you know that?

You had your chance, Artie.
We wanted to include you.

Now it's too late.

Include me in what?
In robbing my own unions?

Stealing over
a half a million dollars
from the welfare fund?

There's no proof
of that.

Isn't there?

Mickey kept another
set of books,
books that you never saw.

We saw them.

All right,
there's other evidence.

Evidence of how
you and your thugs

forced manufacturers
to permit betting books
and numbers

to operate
right in their own plants.

Signed statements of
how you were setting up
a vice operation,

importing B girls
and making them work in
every saloon in this town.

There's no proof of anything.
Anything, understand?

And if you're counting on
the State's Attorney, don't.

Where's Mickey Partos?

There you are, Artie,
$50,000. It's all yours.

Take it.
And start running.

Running?

You're not going to be
around here for
the union election in June.

I'm going to run
the WNB, not you!

And you think
you can get rid of me
with this?

You have your choice.

Take it and get out
of the country
in the next seven hours

or stay here and
take whatever happens.

Get out, Harrison.
Get out.

You can still
make it, Artie.

Seven hours.
You won't have
any longer than that.

Remember,
you had your chance.

Where's Mickey?
What've you done
with him?

Mickey?
Mickey never got to Fremont.

Mickey's dead.

It's a shame.
Somebody caught up
with him, I guess.

Somebody
who didn't like him.

It doesn't pay
to make the wrong kind
of enemies.

[door closing]

[narrator] Meanwhile,
on the dock where
Mickey Partos was killed,

the accidental presence
of an old derelict
known as Candymouth Duggan,

was destined to have
a decided effect

on the infiltration
of gangsterism

into Chicago's
labor union structure.

Early the next morning,
the murder was discovered.

But the unidentified body
recovered from
the submerged car

gave no immediate indication
of the importance of the case.

What about the gun?
Smith and Wesson, huh?

Did you check
the registration?

Okay, Mac, get on it
and get back to me,

[man] Oh, Captain,

Ballistics says
the bullet was fired

from a .22
Smith and Wesson
long rifle.

-What've you got?
-Well...

This is the left thumb
from a guy by the name
of Mickey Partos,

this is
the left thumb print
from the body.

-Now see these three
contra forks?
-Yeah.

One above the other?

Yeah. Both the same.

Yeah. The dead guy
is Partos, all right.

Any record?

Oh, just normal
classification.

A union
executive treasurer.

-Union?
-WNB.

Notify the State's
Attorney's office.

That's where I'll be
if you want anything else.

Okay.

Hi, Jake.

Jim.

Call me back,
will you?

From that mob
of newspaper guys
outside,

it looks like you're
on to a hot one.

Hotter than I want.

How do you figure it?

You know how the rackets
are operating on
the unions in other cities.

-Yeah.
-Blackmail, prostitution,
dope, gambling.

-They don't miss any bets.
-That's right.

That's why Mickey Partos
was coming to see me
last night.

See you?

He told me the mob
was taking over
his union.

He was bringing me
evidence to prove it.

What kind of ax
was Partos grinding?

I don't know,
but he was
after somebody.

Artie Blane?
The head man.

Maybe.

It can't just be
local guys
pulling this off.

We ran the syndicate mugs
out of Chicago long ago.

And it looks like
they're coming back

through the unions,
doesn't it?

And all we got is a stiff
in the morgue

and the fact that
the murder weapon was
a Smith and Wesson.

Yeah.
Without Partos's evidence,
I'm a dead duck.

Oh, I'll make
an investigation

of Blane and the rest
of the union top brass.

It'll be a lot of questions
and phony answers.

Right.

The only wedge
we've got, Jake,

is to find the guy
who killed
Mickey Partos.

So get a hold
of that gun, will you?

We'll bear down.

And, Jake, listen.

Yeah.

I don't have to tell you
how important
this is, do I?

Sure.

We could wake up tomorrow
and find that the United States
doesn't own Chicago anymore.

[narrator] That same morning,
in the home of Alan Dixon,

a disbarred lawyer

and once one of
the masterminds
of the old Capone gang,

another meeting took place,
concerning the gun
that killed Mickey Partos.

The gun should have been
put in the car with Partos,
not on the dock.

We'll locate it,
Mr. Dixon.

I want the police
to locate it.

That's why
we planted it.

The word's out
in all the joints
we control.

It'll turn up and
we'll make sure
that the police get it.

We have nothing
until the Partos killing
is hung on Blane.

Just remember that.

Well, we could have
saved ourselves
a lot of trouble

by getting rid of Blane
instead of Partos.

Killing Blane wouldn't have
killed the votes
of the men who back him.

If Blane goes to jail
for murder,

that means
all his loyal supporters
will go down with him.

None of them
will stand a chance of
being elected to office.

That's how you'll get to be
elected WNB president.

Yeah. Well,
you're running the show.

Keep that in mind.

That's the way
the syndicate wants it.

We've only started
to build our organization
in this town.

The day Blane is convicted,
we'll go into high gear.

Find that gun.

I don't want to
hear from you till you do.

[Betty] Hey, honey,
how about
a bite of that?

[woman]
Are you kidding?
You got a nerve.

Milt?

No.

Milt?

Beat it,
you stink up the joint.

How many times
have I told you?

You want a handout,
go to the back door.

Please, Milt.
Just one,
a short one.

Milt, Milt.

Straight, Milt.
Skip the ice.
And I'll pay you tomorrow.

Oh, sure.
Only tomorrow
never gets here.

Milt, please!

Listen, you still owe
a week's rent for that dump
you live in upstairs.

You're supposed to
be working here.
This ain't no charity home.

Milt, you can
trust me.

You're not
supposed to drink.

You're just supposed
to make
the customers thirsty.

Please, Milt.

All right.
But this is the last one.

-Thanks.
-Hm.

You still here?

Oh, so now you're gonna
knock over the place?

I found it, Milt.
The other night,
on the dock.

Understand?
The other night.

Yeah, I think you latched
on to something, Candymouth.

It must be worth a lot
to somebody, huh, Milt?

Maybe somebody
like Artie Blane.

Maybe I could get it
to him, huh?

Maybe I could
get back in the union.
What did you say, Milt?

Will you help me?

Yeah, I'll help you.

Help yourself.

Come on, drink up.

Let me talk to Harrison.

Yeah, it's important,
very important.

Tell him it's Milt.

Mr. Harrison?

I think I got something
you're looking for.

[piano music playing]

Thanks.

Here's to you, mate.

Let's see it.

How'd it get here?

A rummy found it
on the pier.

Who is he?

He used to be a member
of the WNB years ago.

They threw him out
for hitting the bottle.

What'd he see?

I don't know.
But he's in the back.

[coughs]

Come in.
Have a drink, huh?

Milt says you found this
on the pier the other night,
after Partos was killed?

That's right.

What else did you see?

Nothing. [coughs]

All I seen was the gun.
That's all. Nothing else.

You didn't see a car?

I told you.
That's all I seen.
There's nothing else.

Yeah, you told me.
On your feet.

On your feet.

Once more.

I'll never remember it,
I tell ya...

I have trouble
remembering things.

We'll try once more.

You know what will happen
to you if you don't
go through with this.

[stammering]
I was out taking a walk,
getting some air

when this car
drives out
on the pier. Right?

That's right.

Artie Blane
was driving it.

[stuttering]

Don't tell me. Then...

Oh, yeah.

[stammering] He got out
and he started looking
around for something, see?

He was looking
for that gun.

See, I remembered it.
I did just what
you said, didn't I?

Finish it.

Uh...

Blane didn't find the gun,
and after he left I wondered
what he was looking for.

So I did some
looking around myself

and that's how come
I found it.

It's beginning to penetrate.

When Fremont questions you
about your drinking,
what will you tell him?

I ain't had a drink
in weeks.

Right?

Work with him.
All night, if you have to.

And get him a bath
and some clothes.

And then
the final step.

In the morning,
make sure the police
locate Blane's car.

Jim, we've
got something.

The car that pushed
Partos off the dock.

Bumper marks,
scratches, paint,
they all match.

The car's in the name
of Artie Blane.

You mean Blane
did it himself?

Why not?
Maybe he couldn't
trust anybody else.

He's your pigeon, Jim.

Yeah.

Yeah, maybe that's what
Partos wanted to tell me.

The car was reported
stolen a week ago.

But Blane could have
had that set up.

[intercom buzzing]

Yeah?

[Evans] Something here
on the Partos case

that might interest you,
Mr. Fremont.

Come in, Evans.

Mr. Fremont.

Hi.

Mr. Duggan here
saw Blane on the pier
the other night.

He also found this.

It's registered to Blane.
It's the murder weapon.

Ballistics report,
Mr. Duggan's statement.

Thank you.

Sit down, will you,
Mr. Duggan.

Thanks.

Black and white.

Let Blane try to
wiggle out of this one.

Mr. Duggan, it says here
that you recognized Blane.

That's right.

How did you know him?

I used to belong
to the WNB.

I've seen Artie Blane
lots of times.

You hang around
the docks a lot?

Well, I got friends there.
They give me jobs
now and then.

What're you
questioning me for?

I come here to help you.

Well, it's just formality,
Mr. Duggan.

No reason for you
to be frightened.

[chuckles]
Who's frightened?

Sure.

How long's it been
since you had a drink?

Liquor?

Yeah.

Oh, weeks.
I ain't had a drink
for weeks.

Well?

I think Mr. Duggan
is going to be
able to help us.

Pick up Blane,
will you, Jake?

[officer]
Relax your hand.

Look, Fremont,
I'm not going to give you
any song and dance,

that's what you get from
everybody you arrest.

I'm leveling with you.

I'm being framed
and you're falling for it.

It was your gun and
your car and you were
seen by a witness.

Do you think
I'd kill Mickey?

I'm the guy that
was sending him to you
with that evidence.

Blane, if you got
any defense,
you can use it in court.

-You won't listen?
-Nope.

Okay. I'll be able
to sleep nights.

Hey.

Well, good evening.

Hi.

What are you doing up?

I thought you'd be
asleep by now.

All good wives wait up
for their husbands.

Oh, yeah.

Been working
on the case?

Nope.

Now, if you intend
for that to sound mysterious,
it does.

I was thinking maybe
we ought to move out
of this place.

I think it's getting
a little stuffy.

A little stuffy?

Yeah, compared to
the governor's mansion.

Jim, you're not serious.

Those political boys
who came to see me tonight
were serious.

Biggest wheels
in the state, sweetie.

They tell me
the nomination's a cinch!

But why now,
all of a sudden?

The trial.

According to them,
if I convict Blane,
I'm as good as elected.

Oh, honey,
this is wonderful.

Wonderful.
It's all we ever worked for.

Well, the hard work
is just beginning.

It's not work
stamping on a mess like
the corruption in the WNB.

or putting guys
like Artie Blane
where they belong.

Boy, will that
get you the union vote.

I mean it. That's not supposed
to be a campaign speech.

It's not bad though,
is it?

Terrific!
Honest James Fremont,
the people's choice.

Shall we drink on it?

Make it long, tall
and cool.

[narrator]
By the morning
of the third day,

the evidence that had
piled up against Blane

seemed to give
State's Attorney, Fremont,
an airtight case.

That afternoon,
Blane's attorney produced
two surprise witnesses

in Blane's defense.

The first of these
was Laura Barton.

Now you say Mr. Blane
came to your apartment

to discuss plans
for your marriage
next month.

What time
did he arrive there?

Right after
a business call
he made, 9:00.

[Morgan] Just how do you fix
the time so accurately?

Mr. Blane had just gotten in
when the 9:00 news
came on television.

Did either of you
see or talk
to any other person?

Yes, I made a late dinner,
but I'd forgotten
to buy cigarettes.

So, Artie...
I mean Mr. Blane,
called to Sylvia Clarkson.

And who is
Miss Clarkson?

She has the apartment
next to mine.

It's around the corner
of the light well.

I can... I can call to her
from my window.

[Morgan] And what did
Mr. Blane say?

Well, as near
as I can remember,

he said,
"If you can spare
them, Sylvia,

"bring over
a couple of packs."

And what did
Sylvia say?

She said, "Sure thing,
Mr. Blane,"
or something like that.

Then she brought them
to the door
and I took them.

Now, Miss Barton,
you have stated

that Mr. Blane came to
your apartment at 9:00.

What time
did he leave?

11:00.

11:00.

And now let me
ask you again,

and let me remind you
that you are under oath.

During those two hours,

did Mr. Blane leave
the apartment at any time?

He did not.

Thank you.

[narrator] The second
of the surprise witnesses

was Sylvia Clarkson,
a nightclub singer,

who substantiated
for the defense

what Laura Barton
had testified.

Her testimony
severely damaged the case
presented by James Fremont.

One of the sensations
of the trial

was the move by
Emery Morgan,
counsel for the defense,

in presenting
two new witnesses,

Laura Barton
and Sylvia Clarkson.

When Miss Barton
took the stand,
she was asked...

[turns off tv]

Jim, Sylvia Clarkson.

Could her testimony
have been bought?

I don't know about her.

Money could be
that important to her.

I don't feel that way
about Laura Barton.

She's very much
in love with Blane.

Wouldn't that be
incentive enough for her
to perjure herself?

You would feel that way
about it, wouldn't you?

[phone ringing]

Hello? Yeah, Jake.

A tape recorder.
Where'd you find it?

Yeah.

Look, meet me at the office.

Yeah, yeah.
I'll leave right now.

Thanks, Jake.

You heard that,
didn't you?

Are you really
going down
to the office?

Got to, honey.

Can't it wait
till morning?

Jake's turned up
some new evidence.

It's gonna make a liar
out of Laura Barton.

Don't wait up.

[narrator] The prosecution
quickly established

that the tape recorder
belonged to Laura Barton

and had been
given to her by Blane

10 days before
the murder of Mickey Partos.

I'll ask you to listen
to this voice and tell me
if you recognize it.

[tape clicks on]

[Blane]
Hate to bother you, Syl,
but we ran out of cigarettes.

If you can spare them,
lend us
a couple of packs.

Do you recognize
the voice, Miss Barton?

I don't know.

Miss Barton, isn't it true
that Arthur Blane
made that recording

prior to the night
of the murder?

No.

And you used it
to deceive
Miss Clarkson

and establish
an alibi for Blane

when he went out
to kill Mickey Partos?

That's not true!

He did leave your apartment
before 11:00 that night,
didn't he?

No, he didn't.

Then you played that recording
to make the girl next door
think he was still there.

That's a lie.

But he'd already
gone out, hadn't he?

He didn't come back
for an hour.

That's what happened
that night,
Miss Barton, isn't it?

No, it isn't! He was there.
He was there all the time.

[narrator] The tape recorder
completely discounted
the testimony of Laura Barton.

There remained
but one more witness
who had to be eliminated,

Sylvia Clarkson.

[muffled screams]

No marks.

[gasping]

We've been
reading about you.

You done
real good in court.

[gasping]

Only you done real good
for the wrong side.

[whimpering]

Okay, that's a sample
of what it's like.

Now, tomorrow,

you're going back
to answer questions
for Fremont.

You're gonna
remember it different.

You never saw Blane
that night.

You're gonna say
you made a mistake

when you said you saw Blane
in Laura Barton's apartment.

Right?

[crowd gasping]

You be a good girl,
we don't bother you
no more.

[sobbing]

[narrator]
The complete shattering
of the Blane defense

came when Sylvia Clarkson
admitted

that it might have been
Blane's recorded voice
she heard,

and that she probably
only thought
she'd seen Blane

in Laura Barton's apartment
that night.

[chattering]

[chattering stops]

Gentlemen of the jury,
have you reached a verdict?

We have, Your Honor.

The defendant will rise
and face the bar.

What is your verdict?

We, the Jury,
find the defendant,
Arthur Blane,

guilty of murder
in the first degree,
as charged.

Court stands adjourned.

[reporters clamoring]

[Dixon] The last obstacle's
been removed.
Everybody's happy.

Everybody except
Blane, of course.

We get complete control
of WNB.

Fremont gets
to be governor,

the union gets
a complete whitewashing.

And even the ones
who are forced to go along
with our little enterprise

stand to make more money.

The airline charters
all arranged?

Just completed
the last one today.
From Miami to Havana.

Good.

Then we're ready
to start servicing
our foreign customers.

I'm going to give you
a file of all our accounts
in foreign countries.

They'll pay high prices
for American girls.

You select the girls.

Arrange all
the necessary papers.

Right.

It's a clear road
from here, Harrison.

Clear and well-paved.

We can start
to spread out now.

Send out orders.
All the way
down the line.

Get started.

I'll got on it
first thing tomorrow.

Today.

Okay.

[narrator] With the conviction
of Arthur Blane,

the racketeer element
in the WNB

began to widen
its activities.

All manufacturers
dealing with the union
were terrorized

into allowing bookie
and numbers rackets

to operate in their factories.

Bars were forced
to put B girls to work,

making the proprietors
part of the vice racket
whether they wanted it or not.

And the girls,
as well as the proprietors,

had to pay off weekly
to union collectors.

Every worker
in the entire membership
received quiet threats.

"Contribute
to the Ken Harrison
union election fund

"or suffer
the consequences."

All this
was accomplished

with the efficiency of men
who knew how
to use terror as a threat.

And the more terror existed,

the less
the police had to go on.

There wasn't
one bit of evidence
or testimony

that could trace
the violence to the Workers
National Brotherhood.

[Jake] "And Fremont
has done a monumental job

"in striking at
the very heart
of racketeering in unions,

"the so-called executives
who run them."

You listening?

I read it twice.

You know, you'll be
the youngest governor
this state ever had.

Jake, I want to get elected.
I wouldn't
kid you about that.

I'm not kidding
myself, either.

I've done
a lot of soul-searching
on myself about this.

And it's not
just ambition.

I really believe
that my ideas
can help the state.

[intercom buzzing]

You know, I told you.

Yeah?

[Evans]
A Miss Barton's here, sir.

Send her in.

Laura Barton?

Yeah.
She's called up every day
since the trial ended.

Brother, they never
give up.
Want me to leave?

No, stick around.
She's probably going to
start calling me names.

Maybe you can
pick up some new ones.

Come in,
Miss Barton.

You know
Captain Parker?

Sit down, please.

Thank you.

Now what
can I do for you?

Mr. Fremont,
you made a mistake
about Artie Blane.

Well, that makes
13 of us, doesn't it?

There were 12 people
on the jury.

Artie was with me that night.
He couldn't have
killed Mickey Partos.

We've been
all through that.

Mr. Fremont,
listen to me.

You listen to me,
Miss Barton.

Every time a man is convicted,
a lot of friends
and relatives show up here.

They scream
that the guilty man's
been railroaded or framed

or beaten up by the police
to get a confession.

But they never have
a shred of evidence
to back up that accusation.

Now, if you can show me some
new evidence, Miss Barton,
I'll listen to you.

Mr. Fremont,
that wasn't a trial.

The public convicted Artie
before that trial began.

You and the public
and the newspapers.
You just crucified him.

You and your investigation
of the unions.

Look, if you're really
interested in getting
the thieves in the unions,

then why don't
you get the right men?

What do you want to do?
Find out the truth
after he's been executed?

You through?

No, I'm not.

That wasn't Artie Blane's
voice you heard
on that tape recorder.

It had to be
somebody else's.

I know because
Artie Blane was with me.

Even... Even your own witness
established the time
Mickey Partos was killed.

And at that time
Artie Blane was with me!

Miss Blane,
I'm a public servant,

and I'm paid to see
that justice is done.

I wish I could
convince you of that.

Well, you're not going to
convince me of it
until Artie goes free.

All right,
I'll see what I can do
to convince you.

Jake, get a man
from Polygraph

with a tape recorder,
will you?

What are you
going to do?

I'll try to prove to you
that was Blane's voice
you heard on the recording.

-Evans.
-Yes, sir.

Get the head man
at Ryder Sound
Research, please.

Yes, sir.

This is a busy office,
Miss Barton.

You're wasting time
with this demand.

I don't mind having
a killer like Artie Blane
on my conscience,

but I don't want
you on my conscience.

Are you afraid
of the truth,
Mr. Fremont?

I'll be waiting
to hear from you.

[door closing]

Brother, they just
never give up.

Plug it in.

You mind telling me
what this
is all about?

Laura Barton seems
to think that
you got short changed.

We want to see
that you get
your money's worth.

You mean
she found some
new evidence?

Why don't you level
with yourself, Blane?

What could
she possibly find?

Then what are you doing here?
Just come to dig
my grave a little deeper?

[Martin]
All set, Mr. Fremont.

Give me the mike.

What is this?

Speak clearly
into the mike
and say this, please.

What for?Just say them.

"I hate to
bother you, Syl,

"but we ran out
of cigarettes..."

Start again.

"Hate to
bother you, Syl,

"but we ran out
of cigarettes.

"If you can spare them,
lend us a couple of packs."

Okay, Martin?

We'd better make
another one to be sure.

A little louder
this time.

"Hate to
bother you, Syl,

"but we ran out
of cigarettes.

"If you can spare them,
lend us a couple of packs."

Okay.

All right,
I did what you wanted,
now what was it for?

Laura Barton
wants proof that
you're innocent.

So we're gonna
let the sound laboratory
prove that you're not.

We're all ready, Jim.
Just waiting
for you to get here.

Dr. Charing's
going to run the test
for us himself.

-Doctor.
-Hello, Mr. Fremont.

-How are you today?
-Fine, thanks.

Now, look, we can't
leave any room for
doubt on this, Doctor.

Is this
a conclusive test?

-The results will be
positive, Mr. Fremont.
-Hm.

These oscilloscopes
reproduce the entire range
of the human voice.

And they measure
the base response,
medium range and high ends.

What are
high ends, sir?

You'd call them
high frequencies.

The machines accurately
analyze any sound.

Two sounds may appear
absolutely identical
to the human ear,

but the machines
can separate
the component parts

that go to
make up the sounds.
Understand?

Yeah. I think so.

Oh, sit down,
please.

-Thank you.
-Captain?

Oh, no, thanks.
I'll just stand here.

Now, the alpha sounds.

The recording you brought
into court will appear
on this screen.

The beta sounds,
the recording you made
of Blane's voice in jail,

will appear
on this screen.

Start the first
recorder, please.

You are now watching a graph
of the voice introduced
as testimony at the trial.

The beta recording,
please.

Now you are watching a graph
of the voice of Mr. Blane,

the one you made
in his cell.

They look the same
to me.

I sure couldn't
tell the difference.

Watch, gentlemen,
I will now reproduce
both recordings.

You are now watching
images of the whole speeches
from both recordings.

There are differences
in the speech components,

like with your
fingerprints, Captain.

Let me show you.

I've taken a sample word
from each of
the two recordings.

The single word
"cigarettes."

Now, let me show you
both those images.

Martin.

This is the voice
you brought
into the court room.

This is the voice
you recorded in jail.

As you can see,
gentlemen,

the two images
are not the same.

The imitation
of Blane's voice
was an excellent one

to the human ear.

But the high frequency
sibilance is
much less pronounced

in this
beta recording.

This indicates a decided
difference in mouth cavity
and teeth separation.

The two recordings
couldn't possibly have been
made by the same man.

You're sure,
aren't you, Doctor?

The equipment
can't possibly lie.

Artie Blane
could be innocent.

Yeah.

Brother, what a mess.

Now what
do we do, Jim?

We start
all over again, Jake.

Review all the evidence
and testimony.

First, we have to
find the guy that
made this recording.

You better turn the town
inside out.

Hit the nightclubs,
theaters,
booking agents.

I want a rundown
on every performer
that does imitations.

And pick up
that little tramp,
Candymouth.

Okay. Oh, Jim.

The newspapers
will think
this is a phony.

They'll claim
there was a pay off.

Yeah, I know.

Laura Barton said
I was gonna be
afraid of the truth.

Get going,
will you, Jake?

Well, Doctor,

Artie Blane's got a lot
to thank you for.

So have I.

We've got trouble.

That girl we planted
in the police file room,
she's come up with one.

Get to the point.

The cops are looking
for Candymouth Duggan.

Fremont wants to
question him again.

Why?

I've tried to find out.
Everybody's clammed up.

Don't wait to find out.
Get to Duggan,
get to him first.

I'll expect
to read the results
in the morning papers.

All right.

Milt!

[jazz music playing]

[knocking at door]

Milt!

Milt!

Well, well,
my best customer.

Oh, well, sure, why not?
Come on in, buddy.

-Here we are.
-Oh.

A whole bottle?
Are you kidding, Milt?

A whole bottle?
What happened to you?
Something good, huh?

Oh, a girl, huh?

[stutters]

Do me a favor,
will you, Milt?

My hands are a little shaky.
Pour the first one, huh?

Sure, pal.
Maybe I ought to
feed it to you, too.

I know, I gotta start
tapering off.

[bottle shatters]

I'm sorry, Milt.

Come here.
You don't have to
worry about it.

You just sit there
and take it
nice and easy.

There you are.

Thanks, Milt.

Okay, pal.
Just get happy.

Thanks.

Let me talk to Harrison.
Yeah, it's Milt.

Hello, Harrison?
He's here.

Yeah, he's in
the back room.

Don't worry,
I'll keep him there.

Listen. Please...

...just not around here.

[train whistle blowing]

Did you check it
all the way through, Jake?

But good. Nothing.

Not a thing to tell us
whether Duggan wandered
onto the tracks,

or fell off
the viaduct.

Or got himself
pushed off.

Could have
been anything.

The medical examiner
said he had
a skinful of whiskey.

Well, that figures, too.

[intercom buzzing]

Yeah.

[Evans] Lieutenant Traynor's
here to see you.

What's it about?

Oh, he's working on
the imitators.

Send him right in.

Come in, Lieutenant.

Mr. Fremont,
Captain.

What've you got?

Well, I don't know
whether it's much.

A fellow named
Kerry Jordan.

He works at a place called
The Green Dragon cafe.

He made a bank deposit
of $500, June 28th.

The last week
of the trial.

We've been able
to check back
a few years.

It's the biggest deposit
he ever made.

Any record?

Well, reform school twice,

assault and battery
in Detroit.

Slugged a cafe manager.

The charges
were withdrawn.

The manager needed him
in the show.

Jordan's supposed
to be pretty good.

That answer
anything for you?

Just the date
of the deposit.

You know, Duggan might've
been killed because
of a leak someplace.

Can you pick up
the Clarkson girl

without putting a report
through the department?

Yeah.

Okay, we'll screen
everybody on the force,
right down to the janitors.

Handle that, Traynor,
and handle it right.

Kerry Jordan.

Now what?

Now we'll find out
if Blane knows anything
about this guy.

[Jim] This guy
does imitations,
his name is Jordan.

Jordan.

Jordan.

The name
doesn't do a thing.

Well, try to think back.
This couldn't
have been too long ago.

Because it must be
somebody you talked to.

He'd had to hear
your voice
to do the imitation.

Oh, I've met
and talked to a lot
of entertainers.

Just because
a guy does imitations,

there's no reason
why it should
stick in my mind.

Maybe if you could
bring this Jordan in here
I'd recognize his face.

What do
you think, Jake?

No. It'd be a sure
tip off, Blane.

They'd run so far
for cover, we'd never
catch up with them.

He's right.

Laura.

Laura and I went
everywhere together.

Maybe she'd recognize
this Jordan.

Yeah. Guard!

Jake, get a hold
of Laura Barton.

Have her meet me
at that Green Dragon
place tonight, 8:15.

We can
give it a try.

[chattering]

As Al Jolson
used to say,

[chuckles]
"Wait a minute, folks.
I said, wait a minute,

"you ain't heard
nothing yet."

Now, who else would
you like to hear?

Do Robinson.

Edward G. Robinson.

[Jordan] Edward G, Robinson?
Okay.

[piano playing]

[audience laughing]

All right, you guys,
outside.

Remember, I'm top man
around here
and what I say goes.

Yeah.

No?

[audience laughing]

Yeah.

Yeah.

-Table please.
-This way, please.

[man] Do Cary Grant.

I tell you
I love you, Judy.

I catch you
kissing somebody else,

I will punch you, Judy.

That's right,
I'll be punching, Judy.

[all laughing]

He look familiar?

[sighs]

Well, now we invite you
to dance, folks,
and I'll see you later.

When I return...
I'll be back.

Everybody dance.

[audience applauding]

Scotch and soda?

Two scotch
and sodas, please.

They must be wise
or something.

Look, for the 500 bucks
you paid me

I don't want
to get in trouble
with the cops.

I'm gonna
clear out of here.

Don't be a fool, Jordan.

You run now,
they'll be sure that
you're the one they want.

Stay there, go out
and do another show.

All right.

No, I won't talk to them.
Okay, I'll wait here.

But you better think up
something good
if there's trouble.

-The police have located
the Clarkson girl.
-Where is she?

She has a room
in a flop house hotel
over a waterfront saloon.

Here's the address.

Shanghai Low.

A real joint.

The police have located
the Clarkson girl.

-Where is she?
-Okay.

Waiter!

Give me the check.

[people applauding]

Well, I'm back again,
you lucky people.

Anybody at all.
Just sing it out.

[man 1] Do Jimmy Durante.

Durante? All right.
Jimmy Durante.

[man playing piano]

Nothing, huh?

[sighs]

The more I think,
the less I...

The less I can remember
where I could
have seen him.

Do, re, mi,
fa, sol, la, ti, do.

-[people laughing]
-I'll go, I'll stay.

Come on,
let's get out of here.

[man 2] Do Rin Tin Tin.

I can't bark like a dog,
but I can
howl like a wolf.

That wolf joke.
He's used it before.

Oh, I remember now.

It was at the Elliot home.

There was entertainment
and he was there.

He kept talking to Artie.
He was
very interested in him.

[exclaims]

When was the party?

It was two days
before Mickey was killed.

[people applauding]

Well, that's about it
for now, folks.

Why don't
you all dance?

Do Artie Blane!

[people applauding]

Do Artie Blane.

[band playing lively music]

Look at him.

I'll be back.

Uh... Back here is for
the entertainers only.

Yeah, I know.

I want Jordan.

Official business?

What's it to you?

Well, you got a warrant?

Want me to get one?

Second door.

Thank you.

Hey!

[screaming]

Shut up!
You wanna start a riot?

Mr. Fremont.

I'm all right.
I'm all right.

He's dead.

Call the police.

Go on,
call the police!

Looks like
the end of the line,
doesn't it?

[groans]

Not if Sylvia Clarkson's
still alive. Come on.

You know that plane
ain't gonna
wait all night.

This ain't no joy ride.
So get in, go ahead.

Park it in the back.
Wait for me.

Follow the dame.
I'll get word to
Harrison about him.

[jazz music playing]

What'll you have?

Scotch.

Hi, honey.
Buy me a drink?

Yeah, sure. Give her a...
Scotch all right?

Yeah.

Well, I hope
you get rich.

They got nerve.
Who wants to work
in a crummy saloon in Manila?

What's the difference?

All you gotta do is
learn how to say
"Buy me a drink" in Spanish.

I only know one word
in Spanish. Si.Yes.

Honey, that's one word
you'd better forget.

Hey, that's good.

What's with them?
They taking a trip?

Oh, who cares?
Me, I like it here.

I've been looking
for Sylvia.

Sylvie, you know
where she is?

Baby, you're with me.

Buy me another?

Be my guest.

What's the matter?

That guy out there
at the bar,
don't you know who he is?

No.

Well, who is he?

Just the State's Attorney.

Fremont?

You looking
for somebody?

Yeah, a friend.

I'm friendly.

Yeah, I know.
But I'm supposed
to meet Sylvie.

Oh, that new fancy dame.

Yeah, you know
where she is?

I don't remember
so good.

She's in her room
upstairs, 14.

Those stairs
will get you there.

I told him
I didn't want to go,
I got friends here.

You think your friends
can keep you from having
your head caved in?

Fremont!

Yeah.

What do you say
we talk?

Don't move, mister.
That goes for you, too.

Stay put.
Now, outside.

Oh, you. Come on,
you're coming with me.
Come on!

No! No, I'm not going anywhere.
Get out! Get out of here.

You perjured yourself
on the stand, you lied.

[stammering]
No... No, I didn't.

You can't prove I did.

You lied.
A man's gonna die
because of that.

I don't want
any more trouble.

Get out, get out!

Oh, you're scared,
aren't you?

You're really scared.

They told you they'd kill you
if you didn't testify
against Blane, didn't they?

That's it, isn't it?
Isn't it?

No. No, I told the truth.

Oh, you did.

We happen to know
that, that tape recording
was a fake.

Now do you think
they're gonna let you live
with what you know?

What do you mean?

I mean, they've killed
Candymouth.

They just killed the man
who made the recording.

Now who do you think is
gonna be next?

No. No.

You're trying to trick me.

You want to take a look
at the bodies
in the morgue?

They said
they'd let me go
when this is over.

[sobbing]

They said
they'd let me go.

Then you admit
they threatened you?

[sobbing]

Mr. Fremont, I don't want
Artie Blane to die.

But if they've killed
all those other people,
what chance have I got?

You'll have police protection.
Nothing can happen to you.

What do you
want me to do?

I want you to
tell me the truth.

I want you to tell me
how they forced you
to testify against Blane.

I want
a full statement.

Well?

All right.

Look.

This is my home address.
You go there
and wait for me.

Is there a back way
out of here?

Uh-huh.

Take a cab.
Come on.

Go on. Hurry.

[knock at door]

That'll be Harrison.

-Where is he?
-He's upstairs.

No, wait.

Check the room.

What's the matter?
She brush you off?

Oh, yeah, you know.

You still got me, baby.

Come on,
buy me a little drink.

Did he get to the girl?

Gilkey's out cold.
The girl's gone.

Yeah, that's why
he's stalling around.

To give her
a good start.

He won't go anywhere.
Duncan's got
his car covered.

All right,
go after him.

But get that
Clarkson girl.

What do we do
with her?

Take her
to the airport.

The airport?
With all those dames?

I said the airport.
Now, move.

Did you see her?

-Yeah, she'll cooperate.
-Oh.

Where is she?

I sent her on ahead
to my house.

I got to get to a phone
and call Jake. Come on.

[groaning]

Where is she?

Sylvia?

-[yells]
-Talk.

[grunts]

Talk!

[Duncan] Talk!

Stop it,
you'll kill him!

Sure, we'll stop.
You tell us
where she is.

I don't know,
I don't know.

Please don't hit him
anymore.

I don't know,
I don't know.
Just leave him alone.

Okay.

[grunting]

Please, stop it!

Stop it! Please!

[sobbing]
All right, I'll tell you.
Don't hit him anymore.

Okay.

[stutters]

She... She's at his house,
where he lives.

All right, kid.

But you just go along
for insurance.

Jake.

Jake, forget about Jordan.
Just get over to my house.

Yeah, my house, quick.

[door opening]

Jim.

[mutters]

-You all right?
-Jim, you're face.

Where's Sylvia Clarkson?

Jim, what happened?

Will you answer me?
Where is she?
Did she get here?

About five minutes ago.

[Jake] Hey.

What's going on here?

I found
the Clarkson girl.

She told me she'd talk.
I sent her over here
for safekeeping.

I'm trying to find out
what happened to her.

A couple a men
forced their way in.

She fought them
and I tried to help.

But they said
they'd kill me
if I interfered.

I could see
they had Laura Barton
in the car outside.

They took both girls.

Where?

I don't know.

Did they say anything?
Anything at all?

Well, the Clarkson girl
was screaming.

There was something
about a plane.

I'll call headquarters
and have them ground
every outbound plane.

Jim, I'm going to
get you to a doctor.

I have to go
with Jake.

Don't.

Helen, if anything
happens to those women,
I'm responsible.

I'm responsible.

Use every car in the area.
Get right on it.

-Jake.
-Yeah.

Send a squad car
to the Fremont house,
I want it covered.

Cars 104 and 109.
Emergency.

Proceed to airport.

Car 104 reporting.

We're on our way
to the airport.

Keep in touch
with the control tower.

I want to make sure
no plane
leaves the ground.

Where we
stopping first?

San Diego.
We refuel there.

Well, where do
you pick up
the other plane?

Hey, what's Harrison
doing here?

Smitty and Duncan
get here yet?

No, were they
supposed to?

-Get those women
off the field.
-What?

Out of the plane
and into that bus.

Okay.

Take them into town.
Spread them around.
Drop them anywhere.

Sure, boss.

What's up?
Is the flight canceled?

Don't you worry
about that, you just
be ready to take off.

-[indistinct shouting]
-Where to?

We'll tell you later.
Now warm up the motors.

Come on, girls,
get outta the plane.

Come on,
come on.

[chattering]

[tires screech]

[car horn honks]

Where did
you find them?

Fremont's house.

Fremont!
Anybody see you?

Yeah, his wife.

Get them
on the plane.

Please,
I did everything
you wanted.

Let me go.
Let me go.

[sobbing]

Please, I did everything
you wanted!

You're never satisfied,
are you?

You got Artie,
now you have to get me.

You can't go on
killing everybody,
Harrison.

Someday they're gonna
catch up with you.

On the plane.

What do we
do with them?

Lose them. Lose them,
do you understand?

So long as
they're alive,
we're in trouble.

Then you and Duncan
get out of the country.

[Smitty]
Out of the country?

Fremont's wife saw you.
What do you want to do?
Hang? Now get going!

No. No, please!
Please, no.

We're not going
to get out of here,
Mr. Harrison.

Why not?

The control tower's ordered
every plane grounded.

You taking orders from me
or from the control tower?

Now get this crate
in the air!

I'll lose my license--

You still want to argue?
Now get going!

[sirens wailing]

The cops!

Cars 104 and 107,
block the runway.

That's them up ahead.

They're getting away.

[tires screech]

Hang on.

They're gaining on us.

[tires screeching]

[sirens wailing]

[gun fires]

Get him!

[gunshots continue]

[narrator] Ken Harrison,
badly wounded,
lived for three days.

Before he died,

he gave the police
and State's Attorney
James Fremont

enough information
to completely crush
the crime organizations

set up by
the union mobsters.

Artie Blane,
cleared of complicity
in the Partos murder,

regained the presidency
of the WNB.
in a unanimous vote.

And on James Fremont's desk,

was proof that
the high offices of our land

cannot be corrupted

if men of courage
are willing to fight

for what is right
and decent.